1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a connector.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 7,131,869 discloses a connector that has a housing formed with a terminal accommodating chamber. The terminal accommodating chamber has an open rear end and a front wall with an insertion hole. The connector also has a male terminal fitting with a main body and a long narrow tab that projects forward from the main body. The male terminal fitting is inserted from behind into the terminal accommodating chamber until the main body contacts the front wall to stop further forward movement. The tab is inserted in the insertion hole in the front wall and the terminal main body is locked by a locking lance to retain the male terminal fitting. A mold removal space for molding the locking lance communicates with a front part of the terminal accommodating chamber and is open forward at the front wall.
The width of the locking lance and hence the opening width of the mold removal space is larger than the opening width of the insertion hole when the connector is miniaturized. The tab inserted in the insertion hole may be displaced toward such a wide mold removal space if the insertion hole and the mold removal space communicate with each other. Accordingly, the front wall is formed with a partition for partitioning the mold removal space and the insertion hole in a non-communicating manner.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-260519 discloses a connector with a mounting hole formed in a facing wall of a terminal accommodating chamber located opposite a locking lance. A retainer is provided at the mounting hole and is pivotable via a hinge between a partial locking position where the male terminal fitting can be inserted into the terminal accommodating chamber and a full locking position where the male terminal fitting is locked and retained in the terminal accommodating chamber.
The retainer disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-260519 would be useful in the connector of U.S. Pat. No. 7,131,869. However, the connector disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-260519 has a lock at the edge of the mounting hole for locking the retainer to restrict a pivotal movement of the retainer. An area of the facing wall behind the retainer is retracted from an insertion path for the male terminal fitting as compared with an area of the facing wall before the retainer so that the lock can be formed by a mold. A clearance between the inner wall of the terminal accommodating chamber and the male terminal fitting is larger than necessary along this retracted area.
This clearance permits the male terminal fitting to tilt during insertion into the terminal accommodating chamber so that the rear end of the terminal fitting tilts toward the retracted area and a front part of the tab enters the mold removal space. The partition between the tab insertion hole and the mold removal space prevents the male terminal from being returned directly to a proper posture. Thus, the male terminal fitting must be pulled out backward and the inserting operation must be performed again at the correct the posture, thereby reducing operational efficiency.
The invention was completed in view of the above and an object is to prevent a tab from intruding into a mold removal space during insertion into a terminal accommodating chamber.